leg-of-mutton

or leg-o'-mut·ton

[ leg-uh-muht-n, -uh v- ]

/ ˈlɛg əˈmʌt n, -əv- /

adjective

having the triangular shape of a leg of mutton: leg-of-mutton sail; a dress with leg-of-mutton sleeves.

Nearby words

leg rope, leg stump, leg up, a, leg warmer, leg-break, leg-of-mutton, leg-pull, leg., legacy, legal, legal age

Origin of leg-of-mutton

First recorded in 1830–40

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for leg-of-mutton

The canoes were rigged with one or two pole masts with leg-of-mutton sails stepped in thwarts.
The Migrations of an American Boat Type|Howard I. Chapelle
Some of the boats carried lateen, or leg-of-mutton sails, which are used more than any other on the Mediterranean.
Vine and Olive; Or Young America in Spain and Portugal|Oliver Optic
A leg-of-mutton sail requires a tall mast, which some canoeists regard as a serious objection.
Harper's Round Table, August 20, 1895|Various
The sails most commonly used on canoes are the leg-of-mutton sail and the standing lug.
Harper's Round Table, August 20, 1895|Various

This was a triangular or “leg-of-mutton” affair, of the dimensions given in Fig. 222.
The Scientific American Boy|A. Russell (Alexander Russell) Bond

British Dictionary definitions for leg-of-mutton

leg-of-mutton

leg-o'-mutton

noun

(modifier) (of a sail, sleeve, etc) tapering sharply or having a triangular profile

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012